Finding Forever
by IMPeak123
Summary: Post 8 x 24 season finale . Callie and Arizona are desperate to find their way back to one another after the plane crash. But will Callie get to her wife in time?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** **Post 8 x 24. Callie and Arizona are desperate to find their way back to one another. But will Callie get to Arizona in time?**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines. Sadly, those all belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

**Chapter 1 :**

Callie was just laying in bed, clad in the latest piece of lingerie she had retrieved to entice her wife. Black lace and fruit-flavored body paint were meant to be a welcome home present…an _I missed you, and want you, and need you naked beside me_ kind of present. Longing and desire were beginning to take over the beautiful brunette, and she didn't know how much longer she could wait. She had already been waiting for Arizona to come home for what felt like an eternity.

"Come on, Arizona. Where are you?" the brunette whispered aloud, craning her neck to look at the alarm clock.

Quarter after ten.

Arizona said she would be home by nine o'clock. Hmm? Maybe their flight got delayed and she just forgot to call. Callie reached over and grabbed her cell phone, releasing a heavy sigh when there were no messages or missed calls.

"Guess I'll just have to call _you_," she said, once again talking into the empty space beside her.

She pressed the number programmed to dial her wife's cell and put the phone to her ear. One ring. Two. Three. Four. Voicemail. _Hello. This is Dr. Arizona Robbins. I'm not available right now…_

Callie listened to the message with reverence and yearning. She loved that voice. She loved the big, blue eyes, and dimples, and gorgeous body that accompanied that voice. She loved that woman. And more than anything in the world, she wanted to touch that body…see those eyes…hear that voice. She wanted her wife home, in her bed and in her arms.

"Hey, babe. I was just wondering if you guys got held up or something. It's getting pretty late and I…I haven't heard from you," Callie mumbled into the receiver, along with another heavy sigh. "It's not very nice to make your wife worry, you know? And it's not very nice to keep me waiting in this lingerie," she said with a naughty laugh, hoping to get the message across loud and clear. "I'm waiting for you. Love you, baby."

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door. Callie glanced at the clock again.

Ten fifteen.

Who could possibly be calling on her at this hour? Mark was in Boise with Arizona. So was Cristina.

"Just a minute," Callie hollered as she jumped out of bed, quickly throwing her bathrobe on over her negligee.

She raced through the living room and flew open the door, her jaw dropping when she saw who was standing on the other side. "Owen? What…what are you doing here?"

"Can I…can I come in?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. The man was clearly distraught. He looked tired…upset…concerned. "I'm really sorry to have to do this, Callie. But…"

"She's not here, Owen," Callie interjected, an idea suddenly dawning on her.

He was here looking for his wife. He thought Cristina came back to her former home, instead of going home to him. They were having problems. The whole hospital knew about it.

"I'm not here looking for Cristina," Owen whispered after taking in the shock of Callie's assumption.

"Oh. Oh, okay," Callie muttered, more confused than ever. "Do you know if they've even made it back from Boise yet? Have you heard anything? Because I just tried to call Arizona and…"

"They didn't make it," Owen said, looking up from the floor to meet Callie's eyes. His own eyes were filled with tears, and suddenly, Callie began to feel uneasy.

"What do you mean?" the brunette shrieked, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. Owen didn't answer. "They didn't make it back from Idaho yet? Their flight got delayed or something? Or, or the surgery was postponed for some reason and they're not coming back until tomorrow?"

Callie rattled off her questions in one, long-winded breath, her nerves clearly getting the best of her. She was starting to worry now…_really_ worry.

Owen could see the look of concern on his friend's face. It was the same look he'd been wearing since he listened to the eight messages from Boise. When he realized that the team of surgeons he had sent to Idaho had never made it to their destination, he immediately went into military mode. He gathered information…put calls out…followed protocol.

It was only after he got off the phone with the hospital in Boise, and the airline, and Search and Rescue that he fully understood the magnitude of the situation. The plane had crashed. The plane carrying his doctors…his friends…his wife. It had crashed. Yesterday. The plane had crashed _yesterday_, and nobody had found them yet. Nobody knew where they were, how badly they were injured, or if they were even still alive.

Callie continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. "They didn't make it to Boise," he said, cringing at the sound of his own words. "The plane went down."

"What? What are you talking about?" the brunette screamed. "No. No. That's not true. That can't be true."

"I'm sorry," Owen mumbled, his clouded eyes once again lowered to the floor. He couldn't look at Callie right now. He couldn't bear to see the fear and sorrow.

"What do we do, Owen?" Callie whispered, her eyes also filled with tears. "We need to do something."

"Search and Rescue is on it. They said they were getting a team together, and they would be looking for them right away," he informed the brunette, even though he knew that wouldn't make her feel any better.

"We can't wait for Search and Rescue," Callie squealed, tears falling fast from her worried eyes. "I'm not going to just sit here and wait, Owen. My wife was on that plane_. My wife._ And…and _your_ wife too. And Mark. And Lexie, and Meredith and Derek. They're all out there somewhere. We…we need to get to them. God only knows how badly any of them are hurt. Or worse. What if…what if they're dead? What if _she's_ dead?"

Callie's eyes were wide with the realization that her wife- her beloved Arizona, could be gone forever. "This can't be happening," she whispered to herself, her eyes locked on a picture of Arizona and Sofia. "I can't lose her, Owen. I just…"

Before she could say another word, Owen stepped forward and pulled Callie into a tight hug. "I know. I know. I can't lose Cristina either," he breathed in the brunette's ear as tears ran down his face. "We are not going to lose them, okay?"

Callie pulled back, looking deep into the sad eyes of her friend. "Okay," she said, with firm resolution. "We are not going to lose them. We are going to go out there and find them, every single one of them, and bring them home."

"Callie…"

"No. Don't argue with me," she said before he could even try. "There are ways. Maybe Search and Rescue could use us…you know, put our medical expertise to good use."

"Already asked," Owen told her, shaking his head in disappointment. "They said they have their own doctors, and that it wouldn't be a good idea for anyone personally invested in the victims to…"

"Okay then," Callie said, cutting him off. "My father. My father is a wealthy man. He has connections. He can get us a chopper…another team…anything we need."

"Really?' Owen asked, taken back by that fact.

"Really," she replied. "I'll call him when we leave. I'm going to go get dressed. And you are going to call Teddy."

"Teddy?" he shrieked, shrugging his shoulders.

Callie glanced over at the nursery where her baby girl was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware that her mama was in danger of never returning to her. The brunette choked down another lump as she pointed to Sofia's room. "Someone has to be here," she whispered.

"Okay. I'll try to get a hold of Altman while you get yourself together," Owen said as he pulled Callie back in for another hug. "We're gonna do this together, Torres. We're going to get our girls back."

Callie let out a heavy sigh, unable to say the things she really wanted to say. She wanted Owen to promise her. She wanted him to promise that they would find everyone. She wanted him to promise that Arizona would be alive and well. She wanted him to promise that they would bring her wife home to safety. But she couldn't ask him to do that. He couldn't make those promises. No one could.

There was only one person who had control over her life- a person she had neglected a bit lately. Her happy life, filled with love and joy, had not left her with much time for God. She rarely went to church anymore, and even her tips to the hospital chapel were few and far between.

As Callie worked to replace black lace with navy blue scrubs, she took a minute to talk to the one person who had been by her side forever. "Dear God, please help me. I know I haven't been around much lately, but…b-but I think You know how much I appreciate everything You've give me. Maybe I don't attend mass or…or even say it out loud, but I thank You each and every day for my life. I thank You for keeping me alive this past year. I thank You for our beautiful, healthy Sofia. And I thank You for my wife…for the woman who makes my life more complete than any man ever could. Arizona is everything to me. _Everything_. I can't live without her. So here I am, begging you not to make me try. Please…p-please God, let her be alive. Let us find her…a-and, and everyone else too. Let us bring them home. Let me bring _her_ home. I need her, Lord. I need her more than I've ever needed anything or anyone in my whole life. Please, don't take her away from me."

Callie let the tears fall as she knelt beside the bed- the bed she had planned on making love to her wife in all night long. She rubbed the space where Arizona's body curled into hers after they took one another to heaven and back…the space that their daughter snuggled into every morning when the sun came up. She pulled Arizona's pillow to her face and inhaled deeply. She never wanted to forget that smell- the smell that lulled her to sleep on nights when her wife was working…the smell that calmed their baby girl when she was restless.

No. She was not going to lose Arizona. She wouldn't give her up. She would fight, tooth and nail, to get her back…to bring her home…to keep loving her, as promised, for the rest of their lives.

Callie's hand moved from her forehead, to her chest, to her left shoulder, and finally her right. She made the sign of the cross with conviction and hope, then slowly removed herself from the floor.

She grabbed all of the things she needed for the voyage ahead of her: her medical bag; the first aide kit that Arizona kept in the bathroom; towels and extra clothing; and finally, a picture of Sofia. She stuffed it into her coat pocket, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and stared at herself in the mirror. "You can do this, Calliope," she said, smiling as she heard Arizona's voice in her head.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. This time, it was soft and slow. "Callie? Are you ready?" Owen asked, his voice shaky and down-trodden. "Teddy's here. Time to go."

"Coming," the brunette stated, loud and clear. "Let's go get our girls."

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N: Okay guys, what did you think? I was hoping to finish this Friday, but I had to stop writing so I could start packing. Spent a lovely weekend away with my love, just enjoying the beautiful weather and one another. We went and looked at some houses, hoping to move before we have another child. Needless to say, I was a bit busy…but I'm glad that I had an hour to spare this morning while my girls were watching their new video from Grandma. I was totally distraught over the ending of Grey's, and think I might just have to continue this story through the summer so that I don't losing my mind thinking of all the awful things that could still happen. Not sure if I should just keep the chapters in the "Little Moments" series or start a whole new fic. Hmmm? Suggestions? Anyway, hoping to update my other fic soon too. May have a bit more time since I am off for the summer now! Yay, can't wait to go swimming & spend time with friends/family! Have a great week, everyone!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Finding Forever**_

**Summary:** **An extension of the season 8 finale, picking up right where Grey's left off. Arizona is lost in the forest and Callie is going to find her. Mostly Calzona, with minor development of other characters.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines. Sadly, those all belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

**Chapter 2 of **_**Finding Forever**_**:**

_****This chapter will be posted under "Little Moments" for only a few days. Then it will strictly be found in "Finding Forever." Just wanted to make sure everyone could find the new chapter & set up an alert for any future updates. **_

Arizona sat in the middle of the forest, just staring up at the copious amount of pine trees. In the distance, she could hear the soft sound of water trickling down a stream. Birds sang an eerie lullaby as the footprints of wild creatures danced around her. The stars were shining in the night sky, somehow brighter than they had ever shone before.

This place was beautiful. Or at least, it would be…if it weren't for the fact that a plane had crashed down into the middle of it. The pristine floor of what Arizona only assumed was some famous, national park was now littered with luggage, and metal, and debris. Blood stained the rich, chocolate earth and crisp, green leaves that adorned it. Screams of terror and sorrow had destroyed the peaceful, quiet air. Lexie was dead. People were injured. They were lost, along with any beauty this magnificent place may have held.

As the night wore on, the forest grew darker and darker. The stars began to fade, as did any hope of being found. Arizona's leg wasn't causing her quite so much pain. But that wasn't really anything to be too excited about. Mark was barely hanging on by a thread, and she couldn't be sure about the others. Derek's hand was severely damaged, just like her leg, but it wasn't necessarily life-threatening. Meredith and Cristina seemed okay. At least, that was the assumption. All of them needed medical attention if they wanted to guarantee survival.

Survival. A word the blonde was accustomed to using in her line of work. On a regular basis, she had to discuss survival rates with her patients' parents. She gave them the odds, supplied them with hope and, all too often, broke the news that it just wasn't possible. _I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson…your son did not survive the surgery. We used every precaution, took every measure, tried every method. There was nothing more we could do. _

Just like there was nothing Arizona could do right now to increase her chances of survival. She couldn't walk. Hell, she could barely move without causing herself unbearable pain. Not to mention the blood loss. She had finally managed to wrap her mangled leg up tightly and splint it. One wrong move and the whole thing could open up again, causing her to bleed to death. There was a good chance that might happen anyway, with whatever internal injuries she had sustained. The vile taste of blood coated her tongue again, and suddenly it hit her. She might die. Out here in the forest, her life may come to an end. She looked down at Mark, whose weary head was resting on her good leg, and began to laugh. It started as the whisper of a giggle, but quickly grew into a frightening cackle.

"What the hell are you laughing about, Blondie?" Mark grumbled, slowly opening his eyes to stare at her. "I'm…I'm pretty sure the situation we've got ourselves in is anything but funny."

Mark closed his eyes again, sheer exhaustion taking over his injured body. But Arizona knew he was with her…waiting, listening. "Actually, Mark…think about it," she chuckled. "We're going to die out here. You and me- we're the ones who are going to be together in the end."

"No. You…_you_ said that wasn't going to happen," Mark reminded her. "You told me that we were going home together…that Callie and Sofia were waiting for us."

"They are. They are _waiting_," Arizona cried, laughter suddenly turning to tears. "But right now, we need people to be _looking_ for us, Mark. No one is looking."

"Owen's looking," Cristina yelled from across the way, startling the blonde a bit. "He had to have realized we're missing by now, and he's…he's on it. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah. Just like Jerry over there was sure the little, black box was going to let air traffic control know the plane went down," Arizona hollered back. "Looks like that worked out real well."

"Since when are you such a pessimist?" Yang shrieked as she made her way towards them. "Seriously…you're freakin' roller girl. You're all perky, and happy, and annoyingly optimistic all the time. What the hell?"

"Well, excuse me if I don't feel quite so perky right now," Arizona retorted. "A friend and colleague died out here a few hours ago. My leg is destroyed. And…and no one is coming for us."

"_She_ will," Mark whispered, his eyes fluttering open for a second. "Callie will find a way to get to us. Trust me, Robbins. She's not going to let anything happen to you. Her and Hunt will send someone. They have to."

"See…even pretty boy here agrees with me," Cristina said as she began to check Mark's vitals. "Keep it together, Robbins. If you want to see your wife and kid again, you need to keep it together. Be perky, and optimistic, and annoying. Okay?"

"Okay," the blonde replied, wiping the tears from under her eyes. She locked eyes with Yang for a moment and for the first time, the two of them shared something she wasn't even sure the younger doctor had. _Hope_. Cristina was right. She couldn't lose sight of that now, or survival would be impossible.

So Arizona closed her eyes…not to sleep, because that could be dangerous. She closed her eyes to dream…to remember…to survive. Her girls were waiting for her. One of them was searching for her. She had to believe that. She had to tune out the frightened voice in her head that kept telling her that it was _over_…that she was _dead_…that _no one _was coming. "They'll be here. Someone will find us," she whispered into the vast emptiness of the dark forest, still trying to convince herself. "Come and find me, Calliope."

_Behind her lids, Arizona was met with a pair of brown eyes…the biggest, most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen. She had caught a glimpse of them once or twice at the hospital, but sitting across the bar from them was completely different. The Peds surgeon was mesmerized, completely and utterly fascinated by those warm, chocolate orbs and the beautiful goddess who owned them. Surely, this couldn't be the woman who had been burned by that nasty witch, Hahn. No one in their right mind would leave someone like the woman before her. _

_Arizona looked on as the infamous Dr. Torres threw back shot after shot of Tequila. Then someone else approached the bar- another woman. Maybe she didn't have a chance. She tried not to eavesdrop, but then her beautiful goddess started to cry. Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde could see those brown eyes start to fill with tears, and without really knowing why, her heart sank. She couldn't bear to see this woman- this stranger- so upset. She had to fix it. She had to make it better. So she got up and followed Dr. Torres into the bathroom. Best decision of her life. _

"Robbins. Dr. Robbins, wake up."

Arizona opened her eyes, sadness filling her heart as the pool of deep chocolate she was dreaming of was replaced with Meredith Grey's face. Not that it was a bad face…Grey was a fairly pretty woman. But she was no Calliope.

"I wasn't sleeping," Arizona scoffed as she sat up a bit straighter. She looked down at Mark. _Still breathing_. The blonde let out a sigh of relief, then turned her attention back to Meredith. "How's Derek?"

"He's…he's okay. For now. He's okay for now," Grey told her. "We could all use some water over there. You guys have any?"

"There are two bottles left, but…but Mark really needs the fluids," Arizona said as she nonchalantly ran her fingers through his hair. "I…I heard running water before though. There must be a stream, or a brook, or something nearby."

"Alright," Meredith whispered as she began the search for empty bottles. "Cristina and I will head out at first light. Try not to fall asleep again."

"I told you, I wasn't sleeping," Arizona muttered, a bit defensively.

"Your eyes were closed, Dr. Robbins," Meredith stated simply, rolling her eyes. "If you weren't sleeping, then what were you doing?"

"I was just thinking…about my wife," the blonde whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat, along with the latest upsurge of blood.

Grey noticed the strange way that Arizona winced when she swallowed and raised an eyebrow at the Peds surgeon. "You okay, Dr. Robbins?" she asked, bending down to check her leg.

"Never been better," Arizona replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.

There was no point in telling anyone about the internal bleeding. Nothing could be done for her out here, and knowing would only cause everyone to panic. And she couldn't have that, especially when she was trying so hard not to panic herself.

"Cristina's right, you know?" Meredith announced suddenly. "They're going to find us. We are going to go home to our little girls, Arizona. We _have to _go home to our little girls."

Arizona could hear the strain in the younger surgeon's voice as she uttered those words, and she nodded slowly in agreement. Going home was a promise no one could keep. But they made the promise anyway…to each other and to themselves. They were going home to their daughters.

"Zola…"

"Sofia…"

No other words were necessary as the sad, worried eyes of two mothers met in darkness and despair. This time, it was Meredith Grey's tears she saw forming, mirroring the ones filling her own.

"Be careful when you go for water," Arizona whispered, blinking back the wave of emotion that threatened to come crashing down.

"Don't fall asleep," Meredith ordered, waving her finger in the air as a smile tugged on the corners of her mouth.

Arizona laughed, shaking her head as she smiled back. "Meredith…" she called, just before the young doctor disappeared into the darkness. "I'm so, so sorry about your sister. She was…we, w-we all loved her."

"I know," Meredith mumbled as she exhaled. "Thank you, Dr. Robbins."

Within a few seconds, Grey was gone, leaving Arizona alone again. She looked down at her lap once more. Mark's breathing was shallow…but he was still breathing. "You hold on, Mark. You hold on for Sofia, okay? We both need to go home to our girl."

Arizona spit out the blood clot that rose in her throat, then closed her eyes once more. She had to hold on too. She had to keep going…keep fighting…keep believing. If Callie could survive the accident, she could survive this. If Sofia could live, against all odds, then she could too.

_Memories once again flooded her mind as she sat on the cold, forest floor. She traveled back to the cold box of the gallery where she had witnessed the premature birth of her daughter. Callie was barely alive on the operating table. Sofia shouldn't have been alive at all. She was born way too soon. She was so tiny. And for the first time since she had become a pediatric surgeon, Arizona felt afraid. Looking down at the blue, lifeless form in the incubator, a new kind of fear coursed through her veins. This was her daughter…her baby. A baby she though she never wanted had suddenly become the most important thing in her life, and in that moment, she wanted Sofia more than anything. _

_She remembered the panic that rose in her chest as she raced into the OR that day…the way her Calliope looked on the table, the silence that filled the room with her presence. Mark was beside her then, just as he is now, silently encouraging her to do what needed to be done. She hesitated, wondering if all of it was too much for her. But then, she looked at the tiny version of Callie and fell in love all over again. There was no way she was letting their daughter die. She pushed people aside, barked out orders, and got to work. She poured every ounce of love and passion into her skilled fingers, touching Sofia's heart in a way that no one else ever could. And then she heard it…the most amazing sound she had ever heard. Ba boom, ba boom. It was weak, but it was there. "We have a heartbeat…"_

_In the span of a few hours, her life had been turned upside down. She had proposed to the love of her life, then almost lost her. She had saved a life and become a mother, that tiny heartbeat changing her forever. _

"Sofia…"

The tears trickled down Arizona's cheeks as she wept for her little girl. She wept for the pain and suffering Sofia had endured…countless surgeries, months in the NICU. She wept for the devastation and loss her baby would feel, no matter how young she was, if she lost her mama. She wept for herself…for all she would be missing if she didn't make it back to Sofia alive. And she wept in eternal gratitude that no matter what happened to her, their daughter would give Callie a reason to keep going. Even if Arizona didn't live, Callie would have to for Sofia. Her love wouldn't die along with her, if that was her fate. Her heart and soul would go on, loving their little girl for the two of them.

"Sofia," Mark repeated, his voice struggling to rise above a strangled moan. "What if we both…"

"Shhh. That's not going to happen," Arizona said, stopping him from finishing his sentence. She knew what Mark was going to say, and she was determined not to let that happen. Her girls were waiting for her. She had to go home to them. And so did Mark. "We will be back in Seattle in no time," she told him, hoping she could keep the promise. "One smile from our baby girl and we'll be all better."

Mark sucked in a deep breath, his lungs desperate for air. "Yeah. She's...one…cute kid, isn't…she?" he whispered in between labored inhalations.

"The cutest," the blonde replied, picturing those chubby little cheeks and beautiful, raven hair. "Sofia needs us to make it through this. We can't let her down."

"Then we won't," Mark choked out before a lack of oxygen caused him to collapse against Arizona's leg again.

"They're coming for us. They're coming. She's coming…she's coming…she's coming," Arizona repeated over and over again as she stroked Mark's hair. "Please…come and find me, Calliope."

An owl nearby let out a long, loud hoot, causing Arizona to shiver. Her heart was pounding as she looked around, trying to see through the darkness and fog. The last star in the sky danced like a flickering candle on the verge of going out, as the eerie lullaby of the swallows grew louder and louder, making it impossible to think of anything but fear…loneliness…death. It was going to be a long night.

_**A/N: Okay, so I decided to create a new fic around this SL, in order for me to possibly continue the "Little Moments" series with season 9. I suppose I can write this saga over the GA break, and then jump back into Shonda Land (not that we will get even half as much of a glimpse into Cal/AZ's feelings/thoughts as we do in fanfic!). Please be sure and check for updates under this new title! And please be sure and let me know what you thought of the chapter. Think I'll go back and forth between Cal and AZ's POV with each chapter. Good idea? Also wanted to know if you guys liked the flashbacks? Didn't want to use the GA script verbatim, but really wanted to include some memories of our girls' journey together. Might have Callie reminiscing in the next chapter. Okay, so F'n tired that I can barely see straight. Teething toddler + tutoring + exam week + house on market/possible new house + possible new baby = choas and exhaustion. Not that I am complaining…I love my life! And chaos is good…just not the exhaustion part, LOL. Have a great weekend, everyone! My fam coming for a visit, so more chaos it is! Thanks to everyone who follows my new fic here, and all of the other fics too! You guys rock!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Finding Forever**_

**Summary:** **An extension of the season 8 finale, picking up right where Grey's left off. Arizona is lost in the forest and Callie is going to find her. Mostly Calzona, with minor development of other characters.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines. Sadly, those all belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

**Chapter 3:**

The helicopter ride was eerily quiet, despite the incredibly loud whir of rotors and the incessant beating of distressed hearts. Callie and Owen sat, side by side, in silence. Their headsets, although intended to allow them to speak, served as barriers between them. Black leather-covered foam kept the thoughts trapped inside their fragile minds, blank stares the only sign of communication. Neither could bear to hear the worry, and anguish, and outright fear in the other's voice. Neither could bear to hear the cries, and prayers, and curses thrown up at the heavens and down at the unending hell below. The night was dark. The forest was vast. And no one had been found.

After pulling a few strings with Homeland Security and the Idaho Search and Rescue Organization, Hunt was able to obtain the airline's flight map and a detailed course of action for performing a search in the National Forest. While he had figured out where to go, Callie had figured out a way for them to get there. Her father had also pulled a few strings- quite easily, the brunette thought- and a helicopter landed on the Seattle Grace rooftop less than an hour after Carlos Torres received the distraught message from his daughter.

"Vaya y consiga a su chica, amorcito," he had whispered over the receiver, his own heart burdened with worry- not only for his beloved daughter and grandbaby, but for the daughter-in-law he had grown to love. "Arizona es un luchador, mija. Ella está esperando por usted. Sólo sé que."

Callie had to believe that her father was right. Arizona was strong, and brave, and fearless. She wouldn't give up. Not on her life…or the life they had built together. Callie's eyes began to burn with sorrow and for the first time in several moments, she blinked, allowing the tears to escape. The flicker of hope she had been clinging to with desperation all too suddenly burned out, leaving the brunette in a state of fretful doubt. What if Arizona never had a chance? What if she died on impact when the plane went down? Maybe they were searching for nothing more than dismantled limbs and shredded bodies. Maybe everyone was dead.

Owen saw the sheer panic on his friend's face, his eyes opening wider than ever. "No. No, Callie," he shouted, pulling the microphone up to his mouth. "Do not go there. Do not think that way. We've only been up here for an hour. Give it time. You…you have to give it more time."

"Excuse me," the pilot called to them, causing heads to whip in his direction. "It looks as if we're picking up a signal on our radar. Could be a lead. I'm gonna drop us down about twenty thousand feet to get a better look. Make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened."

And just like that, the flicker of hope was restored. Callie wiped the wetness from her cheeks, sucked in a deep breath, and smiled at Owen. "You're right. We can't give up. Even if we don't find them now, w-we…we can't give up."

Owen reached across and squeezed Callie's shaking hand, offering her a small smile in return. "We have to stay strong, Torres. We can't afford to panic or let our emotions get the best of us. No more of that," he whispered, lowering his head. "No more tears."

Remaining a soldier, even in the toughest of times, Owen Hunt swallowed his fear and sorrow and looked out into the vast nothingness before them. Cristina may be alive out there, waiting for someone to find her. She may be thinking of him, just as he is thinking of her. Or she may be dead. But dwelling on any of the potential outcomes would get them nowhere. And so, Dr. Hunt was going to operate in true military fashion. He was going to do the job he set out to do- find the team of surgeons he sent to Boise, dead or alive, and bring them home to Seattle.

Forty minutes later, the chopper had ascended back over the forest and the two doctors once again sat in silence. The signal had been nothing more than one of the Park's radio towers, and there was nothing to see down below besides trees and rock formations. No airplane parts or debris from a crash. No trace of a fire or any indication that people had traversed the area. Nothing. _No one_.

"We've completed about one quarter of the search and rescue itinerary," the pilot informed the two down-trodden passengers once the helicopter had reached prime altitude. "I know the search can be discouraging, especially when it's this hard to see anything down there. Maybe we should call it quits for tonight…give you two a chance to rest a bit, clear your heads. We can start out at first light if you want, that way we have better visualization and…"

"No. My father put you on retainer for this kind of situation. And I believe you are getting paid very well," Callie reminded the pilot, stopping him in mid-sentence.

"Of c-course…of course, Dr. Torres," the poor man stammered, turning his attention back to the controls.

She knew what he was going to say. All the reasons- good reasons even, for them to take a break and resume the search in the morning. But she didn't want to waste a single, precious moment when the love of her life was out there…waiting, hoping just like she was. "We're not giving up until we find them," Callie announced, more for her own benefit than anything else. "We have to keep looking until we find them, Owen."

"Okay. So we keep looking then," Hunt agreed, his eyes briefly making contact with those of his highly distressed friend. "Let's just stay calm and focused. Calm and focused."

Callie didn't think that was really possible, but she nodded anyway and slid back into her seat, closing her eyes. This wasn't really happening. She wasn't really in a helicopter over some stupid park full of pine trees, looking for a needle in a haystack. This had to be a dream…a terrible, horrible dream.

She opened her eyes again and saw the face of another tortured soul, desperate to escape this nightmare. But there would be no waking up in the arms of her wife, startled from something as inconsequential as a bad dream. No…this nightmare was playing out in real life, and there was no escaping it. She and Owen had to face the reality before them and just keep going.

"If we're not going to take any breaks on land, I think we should at least try and get some rest. We can sleep in shifts," Owen suggested, although his tone indicated the proposal was more of an order than an option. Callie raised an eyebrow, almost challenging him. "We won't be of any use to them if we're emotionally drained and physically exhausted. We need to save our strength for when we find them. They're going to need serious medical attention, Callie and…"

"Fine," the brunette mumbled, shifting in her seat a bit. "One hour." This time, it was Hunt who raised an eyebrow, clearly unsure of what she meant. "One hour shifts," Callie explained, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to sleep through the whole search."

"Okay," Owen conceded, nodding in agreement. "Why don't you take the first shift? You look pretty tired."

Once again, the brunette rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze further from the man sitting across from her. She had never been particularly close with Owen, although they had shared a living space for a few years. He was a good man and he loved Cristina, but he was also her boss at the hospital now and she certainly didn't appreciate him telling her what to do outside of work. With the current state she was in, she had half a mind to tell him that right now…to tell him to shut up and worry about his own well-being, and to leave her alone. But that wouldn't solve anything, now would it?

Determined not to make the situation any worse, Callie grabbed a blanket and rolled it up so she could rest her head. Her actual head would be the only thing resting, the wheels in her mind relentlessly spinning. She closed her eyes so she didn't have to see the stars, or the pine trees, or the lack of human activity below. Where was _she_? Where was Arizona?

Callie squeezed her eyes shut tighter as the tears began to form. She knew she should keep it together, but she couldn't help but cry. She was heartbroken at the possibility of never seeing her wife again. A million thoughts ran through her head as she worked to keep herself from falling apart.

She thought about that first night in the bathroom at Joe's. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She thought about Arizona racing through the Seattle Grace halls in her Heelies…how the woman was, quite adorably, such a big kid at heart. She thought about all the other ways in which her wife was absolutely not a child…or a _newborn_, as the blonde herself liked to say. Arizona was a beautiful, passionate, and positively irresistible lover, and being with her intimately compared to nothing else. The term making love had truly made sense to Callie now. Being with Arizona was about more than just pleasure, although there was plenty of that to go around. It was about joining not only their bodies, but their hearts and souls.

The brunette's mind wandered back to their first time. The couple had nearly broken up a few hours earlier, over something that now seemed so silly and inconsequential. _"You don't even like sandwiches," _she remembered saying to the unrelenting blonde, who simply would not allow Callie to push her away.

"_But I like the girl who has the sandwiches." _

Arizona's voice rang in Callie's ear and once again, a smile formed on her face. But then, the tears came hard and fast. She covered her face to try and hide them, swallowing the lump that was threatening to choke her. What if she never heard that voice again? What if she never had the chance to tell Arizona how much she loved her?

Even back then, she loved the Peds surgeon. She may not have said it aloud, for fear of getting her heart broken. But she did. She loved her.

Callie knew it the moment she glanced over at the blonde during Alex and Izzy's wedding. Arizona was just sitting there, looking beautiful in her blue dress, with her sparkling blue eyes. Callie remembered looking over at her during the reverend's sermon and thinking how unbelievably lucky she was to have this amazing woman with her. Arizona saw the look Callie gave her and smiled, her dimples causing the brunette's heart to skip a beat.

Callie couldn't help herself then. She didn't care if she was in the middle of a church, at the wedding of the woman who slept with her ex husband, in front of all of her friends and colleagues. In that moment, she didn't care about anything or anyone except Arizona, who she was falling head over heals in love with already. She leaned over and placed a tender, lingering kiss to the blonde's cheek. Arizona closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, as if taking in every ounce of meaning behind the simple gesture.

That night, they made love for hours, discovering one another and expressing that love without having to say the words. Being with Arizona made Callie see and feel things she had never felt before. It was like getting glasses…seeing the world with a totally new pair of eyes. Finally, she understood what that was like and she never wanted it to end.

Oh, God…what if it had ended already? What if Arizona was never coming back to her? Maybe she would never again get to feel smooth, porcelain skin against her body. Maybe she would never again be able to kiss those soft, pink lips or hold Arizona in her arms. Maybe she would never again see the world through the eyes of love. How would she go on without her? What would life be like?

Then suddenly, Callie thought about Sofia- the little girl who simply adored her mama. Although the _only_ non-biological contributor to their child, Arizona was, without a doubt, her favorite parent. Sofia saved her best smiles for Mama. She never slept right when Arizona was on a night shift. She _needs_ the woman who started her tiny heart, fifteen months and 3 days ago, and nursed her back to health.

When Callie couldn't be with their baby, Arizona stayed in the NICU all night. The woman worked a twelve hour shift, helped take care of her tragically impaired fiancé, and still spent every single night staying up to be with Sofia. She was the perfect combination of dedicated Pediatric surgeon and loving mother for a preemie. And because of that, their beautiful Sofia was alive and well. Callie didn't mind so much if the baby preferred her wife. Arizona deserved that. And watching Sofia with her was the most amazing consolation prize to being number one.

A chuckle suddenly escaped the brunette's mouth. Hunt's head turned, but Callie couldn't stop laughing. "Poor Mark," she snickered, her lips quivering with both trepidation and madness.

Owen shrugged his shoulders, his mouth open to speak. But Callie stopped him before he could even get started. "You're going to ask what the hell I'm talking about, right?" she screamed, her maniac laugh abruptly coming to a halt. Hunt nodded slowly, as if afraid to hear any more. "Poor Mark is number three." Callie laughed again. "He's…well, if he and Arizona are alive, he's always going to come in third place with our daughter. Did you know that Sofia is just as in love with my wife as I am?" the distraught woman yelled, looking her friend square in the eyes. "Do you know what my life…a-nd, and Sofia's life will be like without her? I don't. And I don't want to know."

Owen looked away, shaking his head from side to side with anger. He couldn't bear to hear this. He couldn't bear to think that some, or _all_ of them, might be dead. He couldn't let the notion that Cristina may be gone get into his head, or he would just give up. Without her, his life would be over. Just as Callie's life would be over without Arizona.

"And of course, Sofia's father had to be on that plane too," the brunette rambled on, unwilling to push her thoughts aside any longer. "So…so even if one of them survived, the other one may still be dead. Or…o-or they could both be dead. I may have lose my wife and my best friend. They could _both_ be dead," she repeated, letting the idea sink further into her troubled mind. "They might _a-all _be dead, Owen."

If Owen didn't expect her to do anything more than focus on the search…if he didn't expect her to panic, didn't expect her to cry- well, he was more insane than she was at the moment. "My daughter may have lost her mother," Callie said, narrowing her eyes as the man before her. "I may have lost my wife. I can't fucking sleep right now, Owen. You wanna sleep? Go right ahead. But don't tell me what to do. This isn't an army base…or, or the hospital. You don't get to call the shots. In fact, my father arranged for this helicopter and…"

"And? And what are you saying, Torres?," Owen asked, finally looking up at her. His eyes were full of tears, despite his tough exterior, and his hands were shaking. "What? You gonna kick me off the chopper?" he yelled, holding the microphone as steady as possible. "Go right ahead. Do the search without me. Let me know when you find them."

The pilot turned to them both and said," Going down," matter-of-factly as the chopper took a sudden dive.

"What? What are you talking about, Rich?" Callie squealed, glancing back and forth between him and Owen. "I was just…I'm, I'm upset. We were arguing, yes….but I didn't really mean it. I don't want to kick him off."

Owen offered Callie a weak smile, nodding in understanding. "Why don't we just continue with the search then, okay?" he said, patting Callie on the arm. "You and I are have so much to handle right now, Callie. And we just…we deal with things differently. I'm sorry…"

"I hate to interrupt, but I wasn't bringing us down because of the argument," the pilot announced, causing both of his passengers to raise an eyebrow. "I see something down there," he informed them, gesturing for them to grab the binoculars. "Looks like debris…maybe from the plane crash."

And just like that, nothing else mattered. The arguing, the tears, the anger, the fear…it all seemed to disappear as a ray of hope was cast down upon the forest. Rich shone the spotlight down on the Park, revealing a large section of wing from the plane.

"Oh my God," Callie exclaimed, sitting up straight in her seat as she looked through the binoculars. "This has to be it. They've got to be down there somewhere."

"Permission to land, Dr. Torres?" Rich asked, smiling broadly when the brunette nearly jumped into his lap and kissed him. "Okay…I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes. Land the helicopter, please," Callie squealed as she got back into her seat. "I'm sorry too, Owen. I was just…"

"Don't," Hunt said, cutting her off. "Don't worry about it. Let's not worry about anything besides finding our girls, okay?"

"Okay," Callie replied, smiling through her tears. "Let's go get our girls."

The chopper began to descend just as the dawn was breaking. Streams of red and golden light peeked out from behind the dark clouds, as if the heavens were offering their assistance. Callie looked down as the forest below them and said a silent prayer, hoping that God has saved her love…her life…her everything.

_**A/N: YAY! A new chapter has been added to this saga…finally! I hate writing in dribs and drabs, but my free time is almost null and void at this point. In love with my wife, my kids, and our new home. Been super crazy trying to get packed, sell some old furniture and stuff, and decorate the new house! We have an extra 2bedrooms now, so we can fill them up with more beautiful babies! No news in that dept yet, but it's only been a few months of "trying." Doctor says if we want to have fun, then just keep going without keeping track of ovulation, etc. and let it happen naturally. Think we will do that, worked out well the last 2 times! Okay, on to the chapter. I struggled with this one a bit because there were just so many ways to go…between the emotions, fears, etc. there was a lot to write about. Then it struck me that undoubtedly, in this kind of stressful situation that 2 people like Cal and Owen would probably handle things very differently. Thought the argument would bring a bit of realistic emotion into it. Thinking these 2 will end up very close friends by the end of the fic though, always liked their interactions. Next chapter start from AZ's perspective, awaiting the rescue and then hopefully move onto the really, really good part. Wish I could promise another update soon, but I have no clue when I will be able to work on this or my other fic. Thanks for your patience, would love some feedback on this chapter to keep me motivated! Have a nice weekend!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Finding Forever**_

**Summary:** **An extension of the season 8 finale, picking up right where Grey's left off. Arizona is lost in the forest and Callie is going to find her. Mostly Calzona, with minor development of other characters.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines. Sadly, those all belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

**Chapter 4:**

Arizona sat, shivering from the cold wind that was now blowing through the forest. Night had come…and with it, came the chill of terror. The young, blonde doctor was terrified of many things at the moment. She was terrified of the unending army of pine trees, concealing the frightening howls and hoots that all too often rang through the air. She was afraid that Mark- a man she had once detested with every fiber of her being, but whom she now loved like a brother- was going to die in her arms. She was afraid that she, herself, was going to die out in the middle of nowhere. That she would never see the two beautiful creatures whom, at this moment, she was certain God had created for her. That she would never wake up with her perfectly plump, little baby on her chest. That she would never wake up with her breathtakingly stunning Calliope beside her. _That she would never wake up. _

The blood came up from deep within her stomach every so often, causing her insides to shake and her head to spin. She had lost a good deal of it now- the crimson reminder of her mortality. It was getting harder and harder to spit out the vile liquid, and she was too weak to even try and wipe it from her mouth. What did it matter if she looked like a vampire? No one was going to see her like this. They were all going to die.

Arizona paused for a moment, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Then she shook her head as best she could, trying to clear all negative thoughts from her mind. "Don't think like that. You're better than that, Robbins. Don't give up," she yelled at herself, although her words were barely audible.

"Hmmm?" Mark mumbled, turning his head to look up at Arizona. "No…not giving up. She doesn't want me to give up. She wants me to stay here…for Sofia."

Lexie. Lexie Grey was the one Mark was referring to, clearly so delusion from his injuries and the trauma of the situation that he was actually having a conversation with a dead woman. Arizona let out a long sigh as she looked around, trying to see through the intense darkness. No signs of Lexie walking and talking, which was good. She and Mark weren't dead yet.

"Shhh. It's gonna be okay," the blonde whispered to her friend when she heard a soft cry escape his lips. "Lexie will always be there waiting for you, Mark. But it's not your time yet. It can't be our time yet. We…w-we have so much to do still. So much to experience. Sofia's first steps. Her f-first word. Kindergarten. The prom. College. Weddings. Grandchildren. Our daughter needs us for all of that, so just hold on. Alright?"

Mark nodded, then turned his head back to cry in solitude. Arizona knew he needed to mourn for the woman he loved, so she wasn't going to stop him anymore. She just sat there, cradling his head and running her fingers through his hair. "I'm here," she whispered, leaning down to place a kiss to his forehead. "You're not alone."

But he was alone, in many ways, and Arizona understood that. The love of his life was gone forever, and there was nothing anyone could say or do to repair the damage that had been done.

Once upon a time, the blonde had nearly found herself in the same position. _The accident. _Callie came so frightfully close to dying those first few weeks that Arizona couldn't bear to think of it some days. She blamed herself still, for arguing with Callie in the car that morning…for being so jealous, and scared, and insecure.

She had always been scared when it came to love. For almost a decade, she had convinced herself that it didn't exist- that true love was nothing more than some grand notion that people created to make themselves feel better about life. Just like heaven, and angels, and miracles. But then she had watched hopeless cases turn around…patients on their death beds recover. Then she had met a beautiful, amazing woman and fell head over heels in love. Then she had held Sofia in her arms, free of tubes and wires. Her miracles…her heaven…her angel. They all existed. And all she wanted was to get back to them.

"Please, God," Arizona cried up at the one bright, twinkling star in the sky. "Please. I'm not ready for your heaven just yet. I need to go home to my angels. Let me be your miracle this time."

Arizona closed her eyes, pushing out the tears that had been brimming for quite some time now. She saw her brother's face…and Callie's…and Sofia's. _Then she heard it_. Like the beating of her heart, the sound was constant and way too loud to be a figment of her imagination. She opened her eyes and once again looked up into the night sky. A helicopter. It was real. Someone had found them.

She nudged Mark into consciousness again and sat up as straight as she possibly could. "Look, Mark. A chopper. Search and Rescue must have been alerted," she told him, a wide grin beginning to form on her face. Her smile didn't last long, however, as the helicopter flew right past them, never even slowing down.

"Too dark," Mark choked out, squeezing Arizona's arm. "It's pitch black out here. We have no fire…no flares. They can't possibly find us out here now."

Arizona's eyes were wide with fear once more. "Maybe if they see the plane…or, or the part of the plane that's left. And…a-and if they don't see it tonight, they'll be back in the morning," she said, her voice cracking a bit. "Right, Mark? You think they'll comb the area again when the sun comes up, don't you?"

"You bet, Blondie," he muttered, giving Arizona a playful wink to try and ease her mind. But he wasn't so sure. He wasn't sure of anything at the moment. For all Mark knew, they were already dead and gone. Lexie was definitely gone. Maybe he just didn't care, one way or the other. Maybe he was hoping to die.

_How could he hope for that? _he wondered, picturing his little Sofia playing in her room. _What kind of father did that make him? _He had lost Lexie twice because he wanted to be a father. All of that heartache couldn't be for nothing now. He had to survive and take care of his little girl…to prove to Lexie, and to himself, that it was all worth it. Sofia was worth it. And she was waiting for her daddy, counting on him to come home.

Mark lifted his head, determined now to survive this terrible ordeal and never take life for granted again. "They'll be back, Arizona. I know it," he assured the woman whose lap had become his shelter. "We're going home to our girl."

The lights from the helicopter faded and the air was filled with complete and utter darkness once more. The howls and hoots bellowed from deep within the pines, sending a shiver down Arizona's back. _Were they really going home? Was the chopper even looking for them?_

Doubt began to creep back into the mind of the scared, insecure woman. "No. Don't go there, Robbins. They'll find you. They're looking. _She's_ looking," she told herself, her soul searching for hope.

"Hey. Did you guys see that?" someone hollered from across the forest. Cristina. It sounded like Cristina.

"We think we saw a helicopter," Meredith Grey continued, her voice hoarse from all the screaming she'd done when she learned that her sister had died. "Did you see anything, Arizona?" she asked, desperation clinging to the echoing air.

"Yes. We saw a chopper. Mark and I both saw it," Arizona informed the younger doctors, grateful that the helicopter was indeed real. "I just…I-I hope that they see us down here, or they at least see something that makes them stop."

"Where's the pilot, Dr. Robbins?" Meredith asked, straining to be heard. The wind had picked up a bit, rustling the leaves and creating a high-pitched whistle that rivaled the howling creatures of the night.

"What?" Arizona bellowed, her own voice not much louder than a whisper.

"The pilot. Mer asked where the pilot was," Cristina chimed in, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Maybe he can tell us what to do…how to get their attention."

Arizona didn't have the strength to yell back, so she turned her body towards the fragment of cockpit beside her and Mark. "Jerry," she called up to pilot, trying her best to be heard. "Jerry…"

"Sleeping," Mark groaned. "Looks like he fell asleep."

Arizona grabbed the pillow under her leg and carefully slid it over. "Here, Mark. Rest your head on this," she instructed as she began to inch her way closer to the cockpit.

"What the hell are you doing, Blondie?" Mark shrieked. "You should keep that leg stationary. You don't want the bleeding to start up again. Arizona…"

But Arizona wasn't listening to him anymore. She was determined to go home…and in order to do that, she needed Jerry's advice. Maybe there was another flare he'd been saving. Or something reflective in the cockpit that they could use to draw attention down to the forest. "Hey, Jerry," the blonde said calmly, not wanting to startle an injured man from his sleep. "Jerry…"

Arizona slid across the dirt and leaves with precision and care, taking note of the trail of blood her torn leg was leaving behind. "Jerry," she screamed when she got close enough to the man. "Okay. I'm really sorry to bother you, but you need to wake up."

When Arizona was finally able to make contact with Jerry, she grabbed his shirt and tugged on the sleeve until he turned toward her, eyes open wide. "Ahhhh," she gasped, whipping her head away from the sight before her. Jerry's eyes were open, but he wasn't awake. He wasn't responding, or moving, or breathing. He wasn't alive. Their pilot was dead.

"What's wrong?" Mark hollered when he saw the look on Arizona's face.

"Dead. De-ea-ad. He's…h-h-he's dead. Jerry is dead," Arizona finally shouted, loud and clear. The forest was silent in that moment, and she was sure by the lack of response that everyone had heard her. "We screwed, aren't we?" she yelled after a moment. "They're never going to find us."

Arizona didn't have the strength to move her battered body back to where she had been with Mark. She glanced over at him, shaking her head in disappointment and defeat. "Sofia," she cried into the darkness, her voice cracking with the realization that she would likely never see her little girl again…or the love of her life. "Callie…"

"Arizooooona."

The blonde's tear-filled eyes squeezed shut, then opened wide as the sound of her wife's voice traveled with the wind.

_Was she imaging this? Had her leg opened up that much when she moved? Did she just bleed out and die without knowing it? Maybe she was in heaven. Or hell. Maybe her hell would be hearing Callie's voice and never being able to reach her._

She heard the voice again. "Arizona. Are you out there? It's me. It's Callie."

Whether it was from fear or inability, the blonde didn't know, but she simply could not answer. She opened her mouth to scream several times, but no sound came out.

"Callie," Cristina yelled from across the forest. "Over here. We're over here."

"Cristina. Cristina, is that you?"

This time, Arizona knew she wasn't imaging anything. She was certain she had heard Owen Hunt's voice, calling for his wife, loud and clear.

"Yes," Yang cried, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, Owen. It's me. We're here."

"We're all here," Meredith screamed. "Well….most of us are."

"Arizona. Is Arizona alive?" Callie asked, trepidation in her tone. "Please, tell me that my wife is alive."

"I'm alive," Arizona cried, finally able to find her voice. "I'm alive, Calliope. I was waiting for you."

"I'm here, baby," Callie affirmed, the wonderful sound of her voice getting closer and closer. "Where are you? It's so dark out here. God damn forest. No wonder you hate camping. You can't see anything out in the woods."

For the first time in hours, Arizona laughed. She laughed long and hard, the melodious sound leading her wife right to her.

"Oh, baby. There you are," Callie whispered when she finally caught sight of her love. The brunette threw herself down on the ground and stared into bright blue eyes, the moon's light causing them to sparkle like never before. "I was so worried. I-I thought you were…I thought I had lost you forever."

Arizona pulled Callie down on top of her, not giving a damn about her injuries at the moment. "Oh, Calliope. I can't believe you're really here," Arizona whispered into the raven locks she could almost feel in her dreams. Soft, dark curls covered her face and neck, and the blonde inhaled deeply, breathing in the love and comfort that came with her wife.

"I was so scared," Arizona cried against Callie's chest, her lips resting above the brunette's heart. "I didn't know if anyone would find us. I didn't know if I would ever see you and the baby again But you…you came for me."

"Of course I did, sweetheart," Callie whispered, pulling back to look in her wife's eyes once more. Those baby blues were full of tears that carried so many emotions. Arizona looked hurt, terrified, sad…but she also looked happy, relieved, grateful.

"Thank you," Arizona moaned as she threw herself into Callie's arms again, clinging to her with the tiny ounce of strength she had left.

"Don't you ever thank me again," Callie ordered, delicately holding her wife's chin and bringing their lips together. "I love you so much," she whispered, involuntarily cringing when she tasted the blood. Callie pulled back a bit, worried eyes trying desperately to comb over every inch of her wife's body in the darkness. "Let me grab the flashlight so I can take a look at you. I think I dropped it when I finally saw you were alive."

The brunette turned then to grab her flashlight and bag, knowing Arizona would definitely need some form of medical attention. Just how bad it was, Callie didn't know yet. And she was utterly terrified to find out.

'No," Arizona choked out, beginning to feel very weak again. "Please, Cal. Before you look, let me prepare you. It will be easier, I promise. Please…"

Callie only searched her wife's eyes for a second before she stopped moving and sat down beside Arizona, taking her cold, trembling hands within her own. "Tell me everything- what happened, what you believe your injuries to be, what the status of everyone else is."

"Lexie: dead," Arizona announced right away, catching her wife completely off guard.

Callie's eyes shot open with the horror of that statement. She could feel her pulse quicken…hear her heart pounding inside of her chest. "Anyone else? Anyone else that didn't survive the crash?"

"No. Everyone else is…" Arizona began to say before she turned and looked behind her. Callie followed her wife's eyes and saw the dead pilot, slumped over in his chair. "The rest of our people are still alive, as far as I know," Arizona continued, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Derek is pretty bad, I think. They couldn't find him for a while. Meredith is okay. And, a-and Cristina just seems to have dislocated her shoulder…nothing too terrible. And then, there's Mark."

Big, brown eyes opened wider still, the whites behind them just about the only thing visible in the obscure night. Arizona motioned to their right, attempting to point out their beloved friend. "Cardiac tempanod. They had to drain his pericardium with the plastic tube from a spray bottle."

"Oh my God," Callie said, squinting to try and get a better look at Mark. "I didn't even see him there. I…I just passed right by him to get to you."

"Go to him," Arizona told her wife, nudging Callie with her elbow when she hesitated. "He's as stable as he can be out here, and he's still coherent. You should let him know you're here…that he, h-he was right."

"Right about what, honey?" Callie asked, cupping Arizona's tear-stained face with her hand.

"He said you would come," Arizona said, a beautiful smile talking over her face. Despite the darkness, Callie could see those dimples and her heart skipped a beat, just like it always did when Arizona smiled at her.

Callie leaned in and kissed her wife's forehead, pressing her lips tenderly to the bruised flesh. "Can't be mad at him for being right this time, huh?" she whispered into golden tresses. "I love you. I'll be right back. Okay?"

Arizona nodded then inhaled deeply. Callie was here. They were going to get out of this horrific place. She was going to see her daughter again. She was going to live. At least, she had to believe that now.

She kept her focus on Callie, watching every step the brunette took towards Mark. Hopefully, he was going to make it too. Hopefully, they would all make it home.

"Hey there, Mark," Callie whispered as she knelt down beside her best friend, gently rubbing his arm in a comforting manner.

It took him a moment to come around, but eventually Mark opened his eyes and offered the brunette a weak smile. "Callie? Is that really you? Damn, you look good compared to the rest of us. Are you sure you're real?"

"Uh huh," she chuckled, smiling back at him. "My father got me a chopper so Hunt and I could come and find you guys."

"Well, thanks," Mark choked out, trying his hardest to stay awake. "Pretty sure we'd all die out here if we had to wait for Search and Rescue."

"Our pilot has alerted them. They should be here in no time to help us get you all out of here."

"Not all of us, Cal," Mark whispered, closing his eyes to find the image of another beautiful brunette crushed under the plane. "Lexie…"

"I know. I know," Callie told him, stroking his hair lovingly. "I'm so sorry, Mark. I know she was the love of your life."

"Yeah. She was. She really, really was," he cried. "Why was I so stupid? Why did I make so many mistakes with her? I should have fought harder. I should never have given up."

"Oh, Mark," Callie whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Lexie has always loved you. And she always will. But right now, you need to focus on staying alive. That's what she would want. You know that, right? You know that little Grey would want you to go home to Sofia."

"You sound like Blondie," Mark said as Callie wiped the tears from under his eyes. "You'd better get back to her, Cal. She's hurt pretty bad, I think."

"She seems okay," Callie whispered, swallowing the lump of fear that suddenly came up.

"That's Robbins for ya," Marks said, once again smiling up at her. "She's one tough cookie, that wife of yours. But don't let her fool you. Check her out, okay?"

"Okay," Callie promised as she leaned in to kiss the top of Mark's head.

She stood up slowly and scanned the surrounding area for her flashlight and medical bag. Whether Arizona liked it or not, Callie was going to have to take a look at her injuries. "Mark's doing alright, I think," Callie informed the barely conscious blonde when she returned to her side. "Hurting over little Grey much more than the physical trauma he's been through. Poor Lexie. You know, I never realized how much I liked her until she and Mark broke up. It's funny, I guess. You see someone everyday and think they're mildly annoying and way too young to fit into your circle. But then, when they're not around, you start to miss them a little. Don't get me wrong...Julia's great. She makes much more sense for Mark, but…"

Suddenly, Callie stopped her rambling and looked at Arizona again. Her wife was way too quiet, even given the situation at hand. "Arizona…baby, can you hear me?" Callie asked, panic rising in her voice when she received no immediate response. She placed two fingers on the side of Arizona's neck and felt her pulse. It was weak, but it was there. "Sweetie…tell me what's going on," the brunette ordered, practically yelling at the woman beside her.

Callie held the flashlight up and was just about to turn it on when Arizona moaned and breathed out, "Noooo."

"I really need to take a look at you, Arizona," Callie told her wife, once again cupping her beautiful, blood-stained face. "I think you're losing consciousness and I need to know why. I need to know what the damage is and start trying to repair it."

"Okay. I'll tell you," Arizona mumbled, grabbing the hand holding the flashlight to keep her wife from looking just yet. "My leg is just about severed, right above the knee."

Callie gasped as she looked down as the makeshift splint she somehow hadn't noticed. There was a lot of blood. Even in the darkness, the Orthopedic surgeon could see the crimson tint that stained her wife's navy scrubs. The leg was wrapped very tightly, which was good.

"It's pretty bad…my, m-my leg," Arizona stammered, following her wife's gaze down her body.

"We can get that fixed," Callie promised her love, squeezing the hand now resting atop hers. "I know a really good Orthopedic surgeon," she joked, smiling brightly when Arizona let out a chuckle. "You really need a transfusion to counter the blood loss. That's probably why you're not feeling so hot, baby."

"No. I, I-I think it's the…t-the internal bleeding," Arizona choked out as another wave of blood rolled out of her mouth. Her eyes began to roll back in her head, her body finally succumbing to the shock it had been fighting since the plane went down.

Callie gasped again, her heart pounding in her chest as if it was threatening to explode. "Internal bleeding? Arizona…why, why didn't you tell anyone about your symptoms?" she screamed as her hands moved to check for tenderness in her wife's abdomen. "You could have damaged any number of organs in the crash. Oh, God. Oh, my God. Arizona? Arizona!" Callie screamed as she watched the crimson tide pour from the pretty, pink lips she'd been dreaming of only a few hours ago.

But Arizona was unresponsive, the injuries of this traumatic event finally catching up with her. "Baby? Baby, please wake up. Don't leave me," Callie yelled as she pulled her wife into her arms and rocked back and forth. "Help! Help me! Someone, please…"

**To Be Continued…**

_**A/N: Okay…so don't shoot me for leaving you with a cliffhanger again. Sorry (sort of, hehe). This chapter took a lot of time, which it definitely deserved, and I felt as if I could have gone on forever and ever. Wanted to find a good spot to stop once Callie and Arizona had been reunited, and this seemed like the perfect place. Of course, there will be more drama with AZ's internal injuries, etc. But at least, the girls have had a chance to be together and at least I have actually had some free time to write now that we are all settled into out new house! Yay! Going on vacation in a few days, so it will probably be a few weeks before I have a chance to update this or "Surprises" again. Hoping to conclude them both by the end of the summer (well, at least this fic), so that I can write a "Little Moments" for season 9 of Grey's. I must say, that fic has been the most intriguing and fun for me to write! Cannot wait for new episodes, although I am sad to think the summer is coming to an end shortly. Back to school for my oldest & back to work for me. Boo hoo. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this long awaited (and rather long) chapter. Feedback always appreciated! Much love to all my loyal readers!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Finding Forever**_

**Summary:** **An extension of the season 8 finale, picking up right where Grey's left off. Arizona is lost in the forest and Callie is going to find her. Mostly Calzona, with minor development of other characters.**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters/story lines. Sadly, those all belong to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.**

**Chapter 5:**

When Arizona awoke, she was in a hospital. Not _the_ hospital-not _her_ hospital, but some strange place she didn't recognize. Everything was gray. The walls, the sheets, the scrubs that hung on the figures walking by. Maybe this was hospital Hell and she was long gone from the real world that held Seattle Grace, and her Heelies, and the lady loves she had been dreaming of since the moment her eyes closed out in the forest.

She looked around again, her vision starting to become clearer. She was indeed inside a _real_, functioning hospital. Her chart was tacked up on the wall, monitors were beeping, and someone was sitting at the edge of her bed. "I must still be alive," Arizona said, although she was fairly certain no sound actually came out of her dry, stiff mouth.

At first, the blonde wasn't quite sure who was there with her. The person's head was buried into the blanket that was haphazardly folded at the foot of the hospital bed, and all that Arizona could make out was dark hair. Like her vision, Arizona's mind was a bit foggy too and everything seemed to be spinning in slow motion until once again, she realized she was alive and that it had to be her wife sitting with her.

"Ca…Ca-l-l-io-pe," the blonde all but breathed into the air, the simple act of speaking taking more effort than she imagined. She sucked in a deep breath as she attempted to sit up, fumbling with the wires attached to her arm and the tubes in her nose.

Suddenly, another body moved into a sitting position. Callie's eyes shot open wide when she heard her wife's voice, and it took less than a second for the brunette to altogether jump out of her chair.

"Arizona?" she questioned, as if she couldn't believe her wife was really with her again, awake and seemingly alert. "Arizona, oh my God," she whispered once she got a good look at the woman before her. "You're awake. Oh my God, baby…you're awake. I thought…I-I was so…I'm just so glad you're awake," Callie rambled as she slid her chair next to Arizona's bedside.

"Me too," the blonde managed to choke out audibly, mustering up every ounce of her strength to offer her beautiful wife a smile. "I'm glad to be awake- well, _alive,_ too and…"

"I love you," Callie blurted out before her wife could even finish. The brunette pulled the weak hand resting on the bed into her own and kissed it with both passion and gratitude. "I love you so, so much. Don't you ever, ever _almost_ leave me again," she reprimanded, shooting the blonde a mock scowl.

"Okay. I won't," Arizona promised, swallowing hard. "Water, Cal. I need water."

Callie nodded and smiled lovingly, then hit the call button for the nurse. "My wife is awake," she informed the woman who answered, her voice full of excitement and cheer.

Arizona felt cheerful too, and she couldn't help the breathy laugh that escaped her lips. "I'm alive, Calliope. I'm alive…and, and I'm gonna get to see our munchkin again…and you're here. I'm okay. I'm perfectly fine and…"

Arizona stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the look of horror on Callie's face. "Oh, sweetie. Oh, it's okay," she whispered, tugging on the hand holding hers. "I know I'm not perfect right now, but I will be. I'll be right back to normal in no time, you'll see."

But Arizona was the one who wasn't seeing it all just yet. She didn't see the horrible condition she was in- how frail her normally delicate body looked…the cuts and bruises on her beautiful face…_and her leg._ She didn't see her leg. At least not yet.

Callie didn't know how to tell this woman- a woman she loved so deeply, with every fiber of her being- that she had nearly died from internal injuries…that the loss of blood was so great that she went into shock…that the only way to save her life was to remove her limb.

Arizona's left leg had been amputated from the mid-thigh down. The bleeding couldn't be controlled and infection had coursed through her system with a vengeance before the chopper had even delivered her to the hospital in Boise. Taking the leg was not a decision that had been made lightly by any means, but in the end it was the _only_ decision.

If Callie wanted her wife to live, she had to let the surgeon take the leg. For the first time in her life, Calliope Torres was happy not to be the one holding the scalpel. She hadn't even watched the procedure, as Dr. Channing had offered. She couldn't. She couldn't watch them take a part of her Arizona.

That fateful day, she had sat in the waiting room, praying to God that Arizona would survive the surgery. That she would hold on for her and for Sofia. And that when the time came, she would understand. But now the time had come, and the brunette was not so sure her wife would understand. She had lost a piece of herself. She would have a long, hard battle to fight in order to gain mobility and learn to walk with a prosthetic.

In the four days since Search and Rescue arrived and air lifted Arizona out of the dreaded forest, Callie Torres had been on the edge of despair. There were ups and downs. Moments where the young doctor had cried and screamed. Moments when she truly believed she would lose the love of her life, and spent the rest of her existence as a sad, lonely widow. Moments when she cursed her God and the universe for forcing her to make horrible, difficult decisions.

And then there were moments of relief- the moment the chopper lifted off of the ground…the moment the doctors came out and said Arizona had pulled through and was likely to survive. There were moments of pure elation….tears of joy…thankfulness and utter gratitude that the world had left her beloved wife for her to keep on loving.

But would Arizona love her still? Would she accept the cold, hard truth that amputation was the only answer? Would she believe that Callie made the best decision she could at the time? Would she be able to get past that and still look into those warm, chocolate eyes with affection?

"Arizona…there's something I need to tell you, sweetie," Callie began, swallowing the ever-present lump in her throat.

"Sofia….how's my baby girl?" Arizona asked, her big, blue eyes searching deep within her wife's soul. "How are you? Have you been holding up okay? I'm sure this has been no picnic."

Callie let out a nervous chuckle, then leaned in to capture the blonde's lips. "I'm just fine, now that you're here with me again," she whispered, squeezing her wife's hand. "And our little troublemaker is just fine too. She's at a hotel down the street with Teddy. I flew them out here as soon as you were stabilized. Sofia's actually been here to see you a few times. I thought it might help."

"Awww. My baby was here?" Arizona replied, frowning adorably. "Maybe Teddy could bring her up later on, once the docs check me out and everything. Speaking of…where the heck is that nurse with my water? I mean, are we this slow at Seattle Grace? In about one minute, I'm going to get up and get it myself."

Arizona threw the covers off of her at the exact moment that Callie opened her mouth to make the dreaded announcement. The blonde glanced down at her leg and gasped. "Oh, God. My leg…I, I forgot about my leg. And I didn't, I-I just didn't think…"

"Baby, I'm so sorry," Callie cried, rushing to her wife's side. She held the blonde close and kissed the top of her head. "I was trying to tell you, but I didn't know how and then…"

"And then, I looked," Arizona supplied, finishing her wife's sentence.

"There was no other choice," Callie informed her, the tears beginning to stream down her face. "I swear to you, Arizona. There was no other choice. It was this…or, or lose you forever. And there was no way I…"

"I know," Arizona mumbled, smiling through her tears at the woman she adored. "I remember how bad it was now," she sighed, her eyes cast off to the side to avoid looking at the nothingness beyond her thigh.

Then the blonde covered up the ugly truth and focused back on the amazing, gorgeous goddess by her side. Callie had come for her…found her out in the middle of nowhere…saved her. She swore at that moment never to take out the pain and frustration of what happened on her beloved wife. Calliope was her hero…her savior…her _angel_.

"We'll get through this," she announced, baby blues studying every beautiful speck of chocolate as if Callie's eyes were the whole world. "Thank you for finding me," the blonde whispered as she grabbed the front of her wife's shirt and pulled her in for a long, loving kiss.

That kiss nearly knocked Arizona back out of consciousness, sheer exhaustion taking over her weak body. She gasped for air, then smiled and laid her head down on the pillow.

Finally, the nurse came in, forcing Callie and Arizona to continue their heated reunion. "Well, look who's awake," the woman said, smiling brightly. She wore a name tag that said _Lori. _"Let's get some real fluids in you, huh?"

"Thanks," Arizona muttered, straw to her lips. She sucked down a bit of the cool water before collapsing against the pillow once more.

"You're very welcome, Dr. Robbins," Lori said. "Dr. Channing has been paged and is on his way."

Callie mouthed a silent thank you to the woman who had become like family to her the past four days. Lori had sat with the brunette for three nights now, holding her hand and trying desperately to instill some hope.

"See…told you she'd wake up," Lori whispered in Callie's ear on her way out, a smile still plastered from ear to ear.

Callie smiled back, every ounce of her just beaming with love and pride. She nodded in agreement and squeezed Nurse Lori's hand as the tiny redhead passed by.

Then she turned her attention to her beloved wife once more, tears welling in those big, brown saucers. The brunette bent down over Arizona, not caring that her eyes were shut tight with fatigue. She kissed her again, gently and so sweetly that it sent a shiver down the woman's spine, causing Arizona's eyes to shoot wide open.

The blonde sucked in a much needed breath. For the first time since the accident, she truly felt _alive_. Tears formed unexpectedly as Arizona radiated pure joy in the form of dimples, her smile contagious to the other joyful woman in the room.

"We _will_ get thought this," Calliope whispered again the soft, pink lips that were finally regaining some color and warmth. "And I'll _always_ find you…"

They were going to get their happy ending. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow even. But someday…they would. Because they had found one another again. They had found _forever_. And forever never dies.

_**A/N: Yes, I know. I've been MIA. Shit happens. Life has been rough (for those of you who care, which I don't think is too many lately). Adopted a sick puppy, who died 2 weeks after we got him. Yeah, been fun. And went back to teaching 5 nites a week…sux, hate being away from my girls so much. So…blah, blah blah. I am not in the mood for any BS about how I crave reviews, or pander, or don't write frequently enough anymore, etc. I have a real life. Understand that. I write when I can, because I choose to. I write these stories because I love these characters…and I love writing. Don't read it if you don't like my work/me. Seriously thinking about being done (for good this time) just because I don't need anymore stress. This is supposed to be fun & I will only keep going because I have some really amazing, loyal followers. I would never leave people hanging, that's not who I am. I promise to finish out "Surprises," and give the trilogy a proper ending. I really wanted to do a "Little Moments, Season 9," but we'll see. For those of you who are my friends, please be patient and kind. Remember that I am a human. Thank you to some…you know who you are! Hope you like the chapter.**_


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